The Gods of Gotham is a police procedural set in 1845-just at the time when New York decides it needs a police force and the NYPD is born.  Timothy Wilde, the main character, was a barman but when his bar burns down and all his savings as well, he becomes a “copper star” instead, and his thrown into the political and criminal morass that is New York.

On the evening of August 21, 1845 a little girl, dressed in a white lacy shift, and bare feet, with her auburn hair pulled into a loose knot on the top of her head, runs straight into Tim who is on his way home from his beat in the Sixth Ward. As he grabs her the first thing he notices is that she is completely covered in blood.

Tim begins to investigate what happened to this little girl but the trail leads to even more horror when numerous graves of more children are found buried in a park.  Helped by Mercy Underhill, the daughter of an eminent Protestant minister, who helps the Irish against her father’s wishes, Timothy must deal with rising anti Irish and anti Catholic sentiment of  “native” New Yorkers who blame the wave of Irish immigration caused by the potato famine for destroying law and order in the city.  Additionally, Tim must counter the political machinations of his older brother, Valentine, who is a Party man trying to protect his political friends and contributors.

Faye is able to capture the the language of the time, even teaching us a little “flash,” the language of the criminal class, along the way. The landscape of New York seems almost like another character, adding depth and reality to the book with with her descriptions of the streets and buildings and the details of how people lived and worked at that time. The quotes from newspapers and handbills at the beginning of each chapter are a wonderful addition, allowing us to get a real sense of what people were thinking and talking about at the time.

This is a period piece of a book! Rich in detail and with a depth of understanding of time and place and the characters are well developed and engaging.  A very enjoyable read!

Brenda’s Rating: ****(4 out of 5 Stars) 

Recommend this book to: Sharon and Marian

Book Study Worthy: Yes, but get out a map of New York to plot the story!

Read in ebook format.